Session 2: The Guardian's Call

Darkening smoke drifts up from the burning wheat field. The fire has completely covered the Starling’s field and only the efforts of neighboring farmers keeps it from spreading. Frackles the hen casually picks her way across the yard to the edge of the conflagration to find what unburnt seed she can. She knows the loss of the wheat will be a hardship for the Starlings. She wonders if Georgette and Bucky will still come each morning with seed or if these are the last she will eat. As she picks through the dirt mere feet from the blaze she wonders if the heat boiling from the field is what it will feel like to be cooked. She scratches at a small stone and is rewarded with not just seed, but an unsuspecting beetle. She squats for a better angle as Ravioli pounces.

The aging tomcat strikes with a ferocity honed on a thousand rats. To the rats he is known as Bane and they speak his name in quiet, dark places. He has lusted after the chickens that the Starlings protect for so long. Now is his chance to taste the flesh of the beasts forbidden to him and he wants to savor it. Ravioli crashes into the chicken and comes up with his teeth bared. There is sound and movement nearby but the game is one. He studies his prey intently as he drops into a crouch for another lunge.

Georgette Starling plucks the cat up and chastises him. She carries the indignant animal to her parents, who are talking with the scary people who saved them from the scarier people.

“Take the monocle, we have no use for it now,” her father says.

“No, that’s your family heirloom, it should stay in your family,” replies the giant gnome.

Herschel begins to respond but turns his attention to his youngest daughter who has dragged a cat almost as large as she is to his feet.

“Ravioli tried to eat Frackles.”

Cast of Characters

Players

Salvine played by Cody

Darius Jorah played by James

Baeren Torunn played by Brad

NPCs

The Starlings a gnome and halfling farming Family

Diego and Esperanza Lleda farmers who live near the Starlings and helped keep the fire from spreading to other fields

(Name Unknown) Goodhearth city guard who came to inspect the smoke of the Starling’s burning fields.

(Name Unknown) Goodhearth’s overworked mayor.

Saul Gutbuster Goodhearth’s captain of the guard.

The Barnabys The surviving family of Clifton Barnaby

Bruan Spiegel Foreman of the Goodhearth Sawmill

Heyworth Brandybottom Alchemist and herb seller

Olga Shalefist Ferrier and Blacksmith in western Goodhearth

Eunis Breakwater leather goods vendor

Paige (Last name unknown) young fisherman.

Down To Earth

Salvine materialized in a bar, draped across a table, with water splashed in his face. He wandered around the strange world he found himself in until recognizing a set of familiar faces running across town. He followed them until they arrived at a farm where he watched them, from the safety of a corn field, fight Clifton Barnaby’s men. When the fighting was over he waited for an opportune moment to interject. He approached Darius, Baeren, and Morina just as a farmer returned with someone from the city guard.

The guard demanded to know what was going on and Darius accused Salvine of murdering Clifton Barnaby and setting fire to the fields. Salvine fled into the nearby corn fields and Baeren fessed up to the truth.

The guard confused by the story and subsequent attempt at misdirection, asked Baeren to give a statement to Guard Captain Saul Gutbuster at Goodhearth’s Town Hall.

Baeren departed with the body of Clifton Barnaby and Salvine followed. He walked casually to Town Hall, garnering strange looks from the townsfolk he passed. Salvine followed quietly, trying to avoid notice.

Darius and Morina remained at the farm and tried to prevent the fire from spreading any further. Darius worked with the nearby farmers to create a fire line between the wheat and other adjacent fields. He spoke with Diego Lleda about Clifton Barnaby. Diego told Darius he hadn’t had any negative experiences with Barnaby and thought of him favorably for taking pity on the Starlings when their children fell ill and extending deadline for repaying their debts. With the fire contained, Darius and Morina headed back into town.

Meanwhile Baeren entered town hall carrying the corpse of Clifton Barnaby. Salvine followed behind. Baeren spoke with a woman who pointed him to the basement where the guard captain was. Baeren, the corpse of Clifton Barnaby, and Salvine went down to the guard’s headquarters.

Baeren told the captain what happened and left Barnaby’s body in his care. As he was leaving, Salvine decided to make his presence known and the two talked briefly. The pair, following directions from the guard captain, headed out for Barnaby’s residence.

After leaving town hall the two travelled to the Barnaby’s home. When they arrived, the maid informed them that Mrs. Barnaby was shopping and wouldn’t return until the evening.

Baeren and Salvine returned to the center of town where they met up with Darius and Morina. After a brief conversation, and checking to see if any new notices were posted to the board, they went to the Rubbing Goose for a later lunch.

After their meal the party returned to the Barnaby residence, where they spoke with the window and her two children. The widow revealed that a business acquaintance from Shieldcrest had warned her husband that Herschel Starling was planning to hire people to kill him. Darius taunted the widow by offering her husband’s sword and then demanding payment for it’s return. This enraged Mrs. Barnaby and she demanded the party leave.

There was a brief discussion outside the Barnaby residence about tactics, and then the party returned to the Rubbing Goose for the evening. Salvine slept in the dirt outside the inn where he was awoken several times by passing dogs, and finally by two men who wanted to see if he was dead.

Salvine entered the inn without notice and slipped into Baeren’s room. He crawled on the bed with the sleeping dwarf. Baeren awoke with a start and pinned Salvine. The discussed privacy and decency before Salvine left Baeren’s room. In the hall, roused by the ruckus, Darius cleaned up the dirt and debris left by Salvine. Salvine tried to mimic the spell and discovered he could cast it with ease.

Salvine and Darius went to the dinning room for breakfast, where they were soon joined by Baeren and Morina.

Adventurers be Shoppin’

After breakfast, the four set out to do some shopping. Darius and Salvine headed into eastern Goodhearth to visit an alchemist and leatherworker, while Baeren headed west to the blacksmith’s.

Baeren visited Olga Shalefist, Goodhearth’s ferrier and blacksmith where he commissioned a sword and shield. Olga told him to check back in a week for his items.

Darius and Salvine visited Waylon Brandybottom’s shop and purchased a few potions to aid them in their journeys. Darius tried to bargain with Waylon and convinced him to trade one quarter of a Tauxith Quill for a discounted rate on the potions.

Continuing on to the leather goods store the pair met with Eunis Breakwater. While Darius discussed armor with the shopkeeper, Salvine discovered he could change his form to match another creature by turning into Baeren. Darius seizing the opportunity, convinced the shopkeeper that the Tauxith tooth he carried was responsible for the transformation. Darius broke the tooth into seven pieces and traded 3 of them for a set of studded leather armor.

The party rejoined at the notice board in town square and set off the speak with Bruan Spiegel at the Goodhearth Sawmill.

The Guardian’s Call

Bruan asked the adventurers to investigate the source of recent interference with the logging operations in the Southern Grove and Berrywood. After a brief discussion about direction, the party decided to head west along the river to the bridge in Griffondale. Before setting out Darius purchased a net, fishing pole, and tackle box from a nearby fisherwoman.

On the road to Griffondale, a massive humanoid covered in golden fur emerged from the woods pursued by creatures made of brush. The party sprung into action and began attacking the creatures.

The battle was over quickly, but the large creature succumb to its wounds. Before dying it spoke with Salvine and gave him a blacked shard with instructions to take it to the Druids in Glimmerwood.

Baeren noticed that the creature, despite being dead, was still moving. He sliced into it and writhing tentacles tried to grab his axe. The creature stirred and clambered to its feet. Baeren was able to destroy it with a mighty blow from his axe which split its skull and snapped its neck.

Salvine, after a moment’s study, was able to determine the creature to be a Grove Guardian, a creature that protects the sacred groves of Vurk. Darius was able to determine that the Grove Guardian was corrupted by the shard it gave to Salvine.
Baeren retrieved the Grove Guardian’s Axe, which carries an unknown touch of magic.

A voice spoke in Salvine’s head urging him to burn the Guardian’s corpse and kill Darius, Baeren, and Morina. Darius and Baeren were able to subdue him, but burned the Guardian’s corpse for good measure.

The party took a short rest to collect themselves before continuing the journey to Griffondale.